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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Water Purifiers / Dechlorinators - Info & Ideas

    This subject is an absolute minefield so I want to share my new found knowledge and encourage more knowledgeable people to discuss further. The following is definitely not expert advice, I know nothing about water, it is just a basic beginners introduction.

    I've kept coldwater fish for 30 years and in that time the most common cause of death to my fish that cannot be determined as hereditary is dropsy in their later life.

    There's always been a niggling feeling that my water supply quality might be attributable to this (at previous addresses I should add).

    On researching dechlorinators and purifiers the subject becomes more complex - loads of sales pitches about how our drinking water is bad for Koi, different purifiers displaying different lists of bad things they remove, and vastly different prices from one unit to the next, sometimes £300+ differences, which despite loads of reading, I still can't grasp to this day.

    Technical Datasheets for the different units and different cartridges are practically impossible to find, and each retailer will answer your questions differently.

    It transpires many units use the exact same cartridges from the exact same manufacturer, yet the descriptions of the units and their abilities differed from one website to the next, and worse still, hardly any of them quote flow rates.

    After discussing these issues directly with Vyair, I started to find answers. They were extremely helpful and offered good advice, but ultimately weren't the people I purchased my unit from, which I'll come onto later.

    I suspect most of us aren't buying these units simply to dechlorinate water unless on a trickle system - why would you when ST crystals do the job perfectly, are very cheap to buy, and can be measured out to guarantee 100% dechlorination.

    Therefore the overall purification process is what we're more interested in understanding before buying one of these units.

    The first step to is to find out what cartridges you need for your water, and whether you actually need to purify your water.
    The second step is to choose a unit, or more precisely, determine if the cartridges you've chosen at a particular size, are capable of the flow rates you need.
    The third step is to find out whether it is affordable to run as some of the cartridges can be pricey.

    And finally, if you actually manage to find the cartridge specifications and data, you need to dissect that data because even the official technical sheets don't tell the whole truth at first glance!

    So to start with you need to find out what is in your supply water and what needs removing. As it turns out, my supply water is actually pretty damn clean and I'm still not certain whether I really needed a purifier, but I've bought one anyway, changed 20% of my water so far, and will monitor whether there's any notable improvements in the Koi.

    Here's my water report and this is available from your water supplier's website:

    Water supply information.PNGWater Supply info 2.PNGWater supply 3.PNG

    There could be stuff I've misunderstood or not recognised as being bad, but the quantities of all the bad stuff I do recognise is actually very low on my report. The 2 main things of note are the hardness of my water (19 GH / 14 KH) and the lack of any information about Chloramine.

    It turns out the only way to find out the levels of Chloramine being added to your supply is to contact the supplier and ask. I did this, and they told me they don't add any Chloramine to my supply and have no plans to.

    This was the first interesting finding, because I'd spoken to purifier sellers who were trying to tell me what damage Chloramine is doing to my Koi and how important it is to buy cartridges capable of removing it, and it just so happens Chloramine cartridges are very expensive.

    My water report alone didn't give all the required information - Water companies add additional chemicals or higher levels of chlorine and chloramine prior to periods of expected high demand, such as bank holiday weekends and Christmas etc. They also add additional chemicals after carrying out water main repairs and it's not unheard of for people to lose their entire collection of fish after such events. I think this was the main reason I went ahead and bought a unit, and the fact that I want to relocate it to the kitchen and run a drinking water tap from it as well as T-ing it off to the pond.


    Last edited by RS2OOO; 31-05-2019 at 08:35 AM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Step 2 - Choosing the cartridges, determining flow rates and the most suitable purifier unit and where to buy.

    Most purifiers tend to be 3 pod designs and whilst there are 1 and 2 pod designs we'll concentrate on the more popular 3 pod and explain why I think a 3 pod gives more bang for buck overall.

    The 3 main cartridge types a Koi keeper (or a water drinker) will be interested in are as follows:

    1) Sediment Cartridge.
    These remove water contaminants down to a certain size measured in microns. The smaller the particle they remove, the slower the flow rates they can handle, so a 1 micron cartridge is unrealistic for partial water changes in Koi ponds and therefore the vast majority for this purpose are rated at 5 microns which strike a balance between flow rates and contaminant removal.

    A 5 micron sediment cartridge will remove sand, sediment, rust and basically anything in the water that is 5 microns or more in size. Each retailer will have a different list of stuff they remove, but ultimately all the cartridges are the same and do the same thing.... up to a point.

    Sediment cartridges have contaminant removal ratings which are "nominal" or "absolute".
    Nominal generally means they will remove 85-95% of contaminants that pass through at the rated size i.e 5 microns or above, whereas Absolute rated cartridges will give a specific guaranteed figure, usually 99% to 99.9%.

    It is worth pointing out that these ratings are usually based on an unrealistically low flow rate, such as the 20" jumbo unit flowing at 2 lpm.

    Virtually all the ones available seem to be rated for "nominal" removal whereas ones with "absolute" ratings seem to be aimed at industrial applications and are expensive, so we'll just cover the standard nominal rated ones.

    There's a wide range of sediment cartridges available with hugely varying price points, but without going into detail my conclusion is that the cheapest polypropylene spun "melt blown" cartridges are good enough for most of our needs and paying out for more expensive string wound cartridges doesn't offer any real benefits. Basically whichever way you put it they all remove dirt from water, at between 85% and 95% efficiency when operating below the maximum specified flow rates.

    I think the main reason for sediment cartridges (when used with tap water) isn't just to stop dirt getting into your pond, but more to extend the life of the 2nd and 3rd cartridges in your purifier by preventing sediment reaching them and reducing their efficiency.

    Sediment cartridges are the cheapest of them all and can be picked up in bulk for as little as £1 each.
    Sediment cartridges have the shortest life span of all the cartridges, which is usually between 12,000 litres for a small 10" pod, and 24,000 litres for a jumbo 20" pod.
    Sediment cartridges have good flow rates at all sizes, usually between 10 lpm for a small 10" pod and 60 lpm for a jumbo 20" pod for the cheapest cartridges.

    On that basis I conclude that cartridge size and cartridge flow rates for sediment cartridges doesn't really need to be a consideration for any of us, and the cheapest ones are just fine.

    They recommend these cartridges are changed every 3 to 6 Months (figures are based on estimated household water use) but personally I see absolutely no reason to change them prior to reaching their rated literage capacity, although they are very cheap so it's up to you.


    2) Granular Activated Carbon Cartridges (GAC).
    The GAC cartridge will be the 2nd / middle one in your purifier.

    A Standard GAC cartridge removes Chlorine, Pesticides, Toxic Organic Compounds, Pharmaceuticals, turbidity, Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs), herbicides, industrial solvents, insecticides, pesticides, lead, copper, mercury, radio active particles and chemicals causing bad taste and odours, and some other stuff too.

    A GAC cartridge with Coconut shell removes exactly the same stuff, only it improves / increases the absorption rate of those chemicals thus improving the performance of the cartridge.

    A GAC cartridge with added KDF media does all of the above but also converts additional chlorine (to chlorides), removes iron, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals (lead, arsenic etc) and is anti bacterial which extends the life of the cartridge.

    A GAC cartridge with added Coconut Shell, KDF media AND Softening media does all of the above but also slightly softens hard water through cation exchange, which basically means it removes "some" Calcium and Magnesium which are the main constituents of hard water and swaps them for sodium (salt). It does this at such a low rate that the added salt to your water is negligible so you might want to consider this to aid water softening if you have very hard water. To be honest I have this cartridge and the difference is so small it's barely noticeable.

    Of all the cartridges it is this one (GAC) you need to pay most attention to. The cartridges themselves aren't as efficient as Carbon Block cartridges (which will be your 3rd cartridge) but are necessary to remove enough contaminants to stop your 3rd cartridge from getting blocked up and therefore increasing its life span and performance.

    The GAC cartridges are the ones where flow rates are most crucial and likely to determine what size purifier you buy:

    A small 10" GAC can only flow at 1.9 litres per minute and with KDF & Coconut shell typically lasts for 26,600 litres.
    A jumbo 10" GAC can flow at 8 litres per minute
    and with KDF & Coconut shell typically lasts for 52,250 litres.
    A jumbo 20" GAC can flow at 15 litres per minute
    and with KDF & Coconut shell typically lasts for 138,000 litres.

    The other problem with these is they are a breeding ground for bacteria, so it is recommended to replace a standard GAC cartridge every 3 to 6 Months (if used for drinking water - no figures available for Koi ponds). This makes them rather wasteful if you've gone for the 20" jumbo capable of processing 138k litres and have to replace it at 3 Months after just 15,000 litres!

    However if you go for one with added KDF media this inhibits / kills bacteria growth and the recommendation (for drinking water) is to change them every year, thus vastly improving value for money as KDF only adds £1 to £4 to the initial cost.

    On this basis I conclude and recommend that the 10" jumbo GAC with added KDF is likely to be most suitable for the majority of us - 8 litres per minute is adequate for most of us and 52,000 litres is about right for a year's worth of water changes.


    3) Activated Carbon Block Cartridges
    This will be the 3rd and final cartridge in your 3-pod dechlorinator / purifier.
    Activated Carbon Block cartridges do exactly the same as GAC cartridges but have a significantly greater surface area and efficiency. Just 3 or 4 grams of this stuff has a surface area greater than a football pitch.

    Anything getting past the GAC cartridge will be absorbed by this one and it's incredibly efficient at removing chlorine.

    The problem is they are so efficient they get blocked up very quickly which is why you run water through the Sediment and GAC cartridges before the Carbon Block cartridge so only a small proportion of the contaminants reach this unit, where they are swiftly dealt with.

    On size by size basis the flow rates aren't a concern as the previous GAC cartridge is the limiting factor here.

    A small 10" Carbon Block cartridge will process around 37,000 litres.
    A jumbo 10" Carbon Block Cartridge will process around 123,000 litres
    A jumbo 20" Carbon Block Cartridge will process around 256,000 litres.

    For the same reasons as above a Carbon Block Cartridge lifespan (for drinking water) is limited to 1 year due to the risk of bacteria growth. Again, I don't know if this bacteria is likely to be of concern for ponds.

    You can buy Activated Carbon Block cartridges that contain microbial agents to inhibit or kill bacteria and viruses, thus allowing you to use the cartridge right up to the full quoted literage capacity.

    You can also buy these with Water Softening cation exchange capability which again removes some magnesium and calcium and replaces it with a negligible amount of sodium. As with the GAC cartridge I have one with softening capabilities and the difference to my water test results is barely noticable.

    Last edited by RS2OOO; 31-05-2019 at 10:46 AM.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Continued as I exceeded post length....

    Other Cartridges
    You can buy dedicated water softening cartridges but from what I understand these remove significantly more Calcium and Magnesium, but replace it with significantly more sodium. Ideal for the washing machine, but not so good for drinking or for Koi.

    Chlornomore / Chloramine removal cartridges
    The above listed GAC cartridges have limited capacity to remove chloramine, but there are dedicated cartridges available to do so. If your water supplier does add chloramine to your water this is something you'll have to research regarding flow rates etc. Because my water doesn't have any, I didn't spend too much time researching this aspect, only to say they're expensive, need replacing regularly and have similar flow rates to the GAC cartridges above.


    Other findings

    None of these cartridges will have any material effect on TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Only an RO system can offer significant reduction of TDS.

    Part of my google searching landed me on this forum a few times. Saw quite a few posts from people saying their carbon cartridges don't work because they're still getting chlorine readings (albeit significantly reduced) on their DPD4 tests. I suggest the reason for this is because DPD4 doesn't discriminate between Chlorine and Chloramine, therefore the carbon cartridge is likely doing its job by removing chlorine, but your DPD4 test is showing up the Chloramine that doesn't get removed via these cartridges.

    As per my opening paragraph in post 1, Prices of cartridges and units vary significantly. It was quite amusing that for the exact same equipment Koi specialists are very expensive, Drinking water specialists are very expensive, but if you go to the pond section of the drinking water specialists website the units are much cheaper!!!

    Just to prove that point, one website has the 10" jumbo big blue unit priced at £303 under household drinking water systems, and then has the exact same unit with exactly the same accessories priced at £164 in the aquatics section of the same website!




    Step 3 - Choosing your purifier and where to buy from.

    If you've read all of the above you now know what size purifier you need for your application based on required flow rates, and which cartridges you need / want.

    For me the perfect unit was the 10" Jumbo because the GAC cartridge for this size unit flows at 8 lpm, and my hose only produces max 7lpm.

    After all the help and advice Vyair gave me, I wanted to buy from them. They emailed a quote for the unit and cartridges. I noticed this quote worked out more expensive than buying directly through their website which annoyed me a little bit, so I rang up to query. They said, yes, of course we'll match our own website price, which was great.

    I then discovered Vyair themselves sell the same products on eBay - even cheaper than on their own website, and with free delivery too.

    Out of principle I decided to shop around, and eventually found all of the components cheaper still from Blackburn House Koi, and funnily enough Vyair is his supplier!!!
    What's more the owner, Mike, was so friendly and helpful, returned a voicemail first thing in the morning, emailed me to check I was happy with the products etc, that I feel I have to recommend them, so if your in the market for a purifier / dechlorinator and most of the cartridges I've mentioned (including Chloramine cartridges cheaper than other places), then look here, noting that the units are already priced including the cartridges:

    https://www.blackburn-house-koi-onli...ond-Purifiers/

    The unit I bought was this one, cheaper than Vyair, cheaper than eBay, and comes with £60 worth of cartridges (Sediment, Standard GAC and Standard Activated Carbon Block):

    https://www.blackburn-house-koi-onli...Dechlorinator-
    3podwaterpurifier1.jpg



    To find out more about the individual cartridges themselves, Aquafilter - Water Filtration Systems is the main manufacturer and wholesaler for virtually all of the main cartridges you'll find for sale, so even though they don't sell directly to the public, you can get a good idea of what you need by looking at the whole range which can be found;

    Here for Sediment Cartridges (I bought the FCBS series which can be as little as £1 each in bulk on eBay).

    Water Sediment In-line Cartridges | Aquafilter

    274707_FCPS.jpg


    Here for GAC and Carbon Block Cartridges (I bought the FCCBKDF2 and FCCBL-S with added cation exchange water softening, but also the non softening types; FCCBKDF and FCCBL as spares in case the softening capability of first ones messed up water readings).:

    Water Carbon In-line Cartridges | Aquafilter

    142461_FCCBKDF.jpg476087_FCCBL-S.jpg



    Virtually all of the cartridges found on the Aquafilter website can be found cheaply on eBay from as little as £1 for bulk buys of sediment cartridges up to around £20 for top of the range GAC / ACB (Activated Carbon Block) cartridges to fit a 10" Jumbo big blue unit.

    After the initial purchase of the unit, it shouldn't cost you more than £50 a year for branded replacement cartridges on the Big Blue 10" Jumbo unit, and under half that for the standard 10" unit.

    Furthermore if you don't have any kind of purification or RO inside your house, you could quite easily fit one of these units under the sink piped to a drinking water tap and then diverted off to your pond. Obviously it would make sense to have some kind of flow meter ahead of the unit so you can monitor precise usage against the cartridge life.
    Last edited by RS2OOO; 31-05-2019 at 10:57 AM.

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    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Just to add another worthy point.

    My missus and kids had no idea that I bought and fitted this purifier unit.

    I poured 2 glasses of water, one from the tap and one from the purifier.

    Went round the family individually to try them both and see if there was any difference.

    Wife said glass number 2 tasted much better.

    Daughter tasted glass number 1 and immediately said "Well, thats obviously tap water" then tried number 2 and said "That's bottled water"

    My young son, who never drinks any water, said if all tap water tasted like glass number 2 he'd drink more water.

    Glass number 2 was out of the purifier - 100% success rate.

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  6. #5
    I don’t drink water, can’t stand the stuff unless it’s coffee flavoured but when I run the tap to fill a glass for Clare it stinks of that bleach yay chemical smell. Oddly though, she can neither smell it or taste is as “that’s what water tastes like”.



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    I'm the same as her mate, that's why I had to try it out on all the fussy gits that reside in my house.

    At my last flat everyone said the water was disgusting, but it was ok to me. But if I poured a glass and left it sitting on the side for 30 minutes it would then taste disgusting even to me.

    That water did have chloramine added to it and the water quality report shows it was very high in sulfate, high in copper and over the legal limit for lead, but otherwise very good.
    Last edited by RS2OOO; 30-05-2019 at 03:13 PM.

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    Water parameters 1 Month after installing the purifier (with softening capability).

    Since installation I've carried out around 3x 10% water changes and 1x 20% water change.

    Its too early to be scientific about this as since installation the pond has been treated with FMG and there's been a lot of of rain, possibly up to 15% of pond volume.

    Parameters at time of purifier installation, and comment next to them:

    Temp: 20C
    Nitrates: 20 (average is closer to 40)
    PH: 8.1 (8.2 is normal)
    KH: 11dH (10 to 14 is normal)
    GH: 17dH (15 to 18 is normal)
    Phosphates: 0.5 (0.5 to 1 is normal).


    Parameters following 1 Month's worth of water changes using Purification:

    Nitrates: 20 (no change)
    PH: 8.2 (normal)
    KH: 8dH (Matches Joint lowest reading taken in 15 Months which was in November 2018, but way below the normal 10 to 14)
    GH: 12dH (Matches Joint lowest reading taken in 15 Months which was in November 2018, but way below the normal 15 to 18)
    Phosphates: 0 (Only 1 previous instance of a zero reading).


    The figures show the largest reduction in KH and GH I've ever seen over a 1 Month period but in view of the vast amount of rain we've seen its unfortunately too early to give that credit to the purifier but we'll see how parameters progress over the next couple of months.

    No idea if Phosphate is relevant or if the purifier even removes it, but if the zero reading is the beginning of a new trend that could be linked to the purifier I'll keep you posted.

  11. #8
    Good work RS Water Purifiers / Dechlorinators - Info & Ideas


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  13. #9
    I have a 3 pod purifier on the back of the fridge, just in-case I am feeling a little less "manly" I might like two ice cubes in my Whiskey! This way its as pure as I can make it. However the water out of the fridge dispenser tastes better than directly from the tap. I always assumed it was the temperature that I preferred.

    Reminds me they probably need replacing....
    Built not bought!

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    Thought I would just add here why some of us choose to use dechlorinators rather than adding ST or commercial products, for completion.

    1. I would personally rather remove a contaminant like chlorine from the water than add another chemical to the system, particularly where it is next to impossible to calculate how much of that chemical would be needed when running a constant trickle-in. I am aiming for a low TDS so don't want to add any unnecessary stuff.

    2. There is a risk of people getting it wrong and not adding enough ST, or forgetting to add it. Water company pipe flushes after repairs etc. are not predictable and there is less room for error when manually adding this stuff intermittently.

    3. If you're constantly chucking in an excess of ST to make sure you neutralise all the chlorine, you are likely to get a build up of it over time. It takes an awful lot to be toxic to the fish, but if you ever needed to use PP you're going to have a bit of an issue getting the right redox level to be effective when all that ST instantly neutralises it.

    4. People running RO have to use dechlorinators to protect the membrane from the chlorine, which would trash it. ST is not an option.

    4. Removing sediment and heavy metals can be considered desirable by some people. I think this largely depends on your supply. But one of the disadvantages of people making up their own ST solution instead of buying a tap safe product is that some of those products also contain chelating agents such as EDTA to bind heavy metals. Heavy metals might not worry you at all, but they have been implicated in some neurological diseases of humans, and fish who are swimming in and breathing in the water are potentially vulnerable. We have lots of data for acute toxicity levels of these things, but a lot less on the effects of chronic lower levels. If you are hoping to keep koi alive for 50 years or more then you might consider it worthwhile filtering this stuff out just in case, especially since filter cartridges are pretty cheap.

  16. #11
    That’s a good post Feline.
    So, I have a “big blue” as my only source of purification, would you (or anyone else) advocate an addition filter before this? They’re not masses of money in the scheme of things eh?


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    Quote Originally Posted by RS2OOO View Post
    Just to add another worthy point.

    My missus and kids had no idea that I bought and fitted this purifier unit.

    I poured 2 glasses of water, one from the tap and one from the purifier.

    Went round the family individually to try them both and see if there was any difference.

    Wife said glass number 2 tasted much better.

    Daughter tasted glass number 1 and immediately said "Well, thats obviously tap water" then tried number 2 and said "That's bottled water"

    My young son, who never drinks any water, said if all tap water tasted like glass number 2 he'd drink more water.

    Glass number 2 was out of the purifier - 100% success rate.
    Did you fit it just after the incoming stop tap?
    Oh have you a photo of it?

    Thanks

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    In the end I actually fitted it inside the filter pit with a short length of hose from the outlet going into the Nexus, then a longer length of hose out the inlet side which runs down the side of the pond (in the small gap between pond and fence) and has a hozelock connector.

    When I top up pond I attach the end of the garden hose to the hozelock connector.

    I'll take some photos or do a video if you like.

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    Senior Member Rank = Jussai Tom Koi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RS2OOO View Post
    In the end I actually fitted it inside the filter pit with a short length of hose from the outlet going into the Nexus, then a longer length of hose out the inlet side which runs down the side of the pond (in the small gap between pond and fence) and has a hozelock connector.

    When I top up pond I attach the end of the garden hose to the hozelock connector.

    I'll take some photos or do a video if you like.
    Oh right I thought you had fitted it to the incoming water to supply the house water, well I assumed that as you mentioned the family tasting it and comparing the difference.
    I've always wanted to put a purifier on our tap water, makes a massive difference to the taste in my opinion, I've fitted Zip hot and cold water units and they have purifiers built in and the taste of the water is much better.

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    My ultimate intention is to install it for a drinking water tap then tee off to the pond. Will do that when we re-do the kitchen next year.

    I like the idea of a hot/cold zip tap - but are they expensive to run? Are they constantly heating a tank of water?

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    Quote Originally Posted by RS2OOO View Post
    My ultimate intention is to install it for a drinking water tap then tee off to the pond. Will do that when we re-do the kitchen next year.

    I like the idea of a hot/cold zip tap - but are they expensive to run? Are they constantly heating a tank of water?
    Yeah pretty much i'd say, they chill the water and heat the water, they're 3kw like a kettle so cost around 40 to 50p an hr to boil from cold so the less use will see it kick in and out to keep temperature up for when its needed, although it hasn't got to heat from cold as the thermostat kicks in and out to keep it up to temp, the cold water runs off a chiller unit and through a purifier so that uses electric as well, not really practical for household use especially at around 3grand a piece.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bigcarpchaser View Post
    That’s a good post Feline.
    So, I have a “big blue” as my only source of purification, would you (or anyone else) advocate an addition filter before this? They’re not masses of money in the scheme of things eh?


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    I would (and do) run a sediment filter in front of the big blue, to stop the GAC in the big blue getting gunged up as much as anything. It's only.a small 10" single pod sediment filter, and generally is supplied with the big blues when you buy them. I probably don't remember to change its cartridge as often as I should, it gets quite brown and horrid looking.

    I also run a sediment filter AFTER my big blue so none of the charcoal gets to my RO membrane, particularly after changing the GAC for new when it can have a mucky output for a little while. I wouldn't be bothered about that charcoal getting into the pond in those small amounts tho.

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  30. #18
    Thanks
    I have the sediment filter as yes, it was included as part of the setup.


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    Quote Originally Posted by RS2OOO View Post
    Water parameters 1 Month after installing the purifier (with softening capability).

    Since installation I've carried out around 3x 10% water changes and 1x 20% water change.

    Its too early to be scientific about this as since installation the pond has been treated with FMG and there's been a lot of of rain, possibly up to 15% of pond volume.

    Parameters at time of purifier installation, and comment next to them:

    Temp: 20C
    Nitrates: 20 (average is closer to 40)
    PH: 8.1 (8.2 is normal)
    KH: 11dH (10 to 14 is normal)
    GH: 17dH (15 to 18 is normal)
    Phosphates: 0.5 (0.5 to 1 is normal).


    Parameters following 1 Month's worth of water changes using Purification:

    Nitrates: 20 (no change)
    PH: 8.2 (normal)
    KH: 8dH (Matches Joint lowest reading taken in 15 Months which was in November 2018, but way below the normal 10 to 14)
    GH: 12dH (Matches Joint lowest reading taken in 15 Months which was in November 2018, but way below the normal 15 to 18)
    Phosphates: 0 (Only 1 previous instance of a zero reading).


    The figures show the largest reduction in KH and GH I've ever seen over a 1 Month period but in view of the vast amount of rain we've seen its unfortunately too early to give that credit to the purifier but we'll see how parameters progress over the next couple of months.

    No idea if Phosphate is relevant or if the purifier even removes it, but if the zero reading is the beginning of a new trend that could be linked to the purifier I'll keep you posted.

    Water parameters 2.5 months following purifier (with softening capability) installation:

    Temp: 22C
    Nitrates 20 - The nitrates trend has been lower since purifier installation, but think that's just coincidence as it doesn't claim to reduce tap water nitrates.
    PH: 8.1 - This was consistently 8.2 prior to purifier, but tends to be 8.1 since installation but has occasionally been back to 8.2, coincidence or not, I don't know.
    KH: 8dH - 10-14 is normal and tap is 14-15, it has remained lower since purifier installation, but obviously summer feeding would also push it lower.
    GH: 10-14 (15-18 was normal, tap is 18+). The softening aspect of the purifier is almost certainly reducing GH slightly.


    My thoughts so far....

    I find it hard to 100% trust the dechlorination as I've not tested it and until I get round to doing so I'm still adding ST, albeit only at 20% dose.
    The long term effects on Koi of the various metals and additives in tap water are not well documented, but knowing the purifier is removing them does give piece of mind.
    The Koi were healthy anyway and they are brimming with health now (see you on the A&E thread first thing tomorrow lol), but you'd never know if any part of that is related to the purification.

    The amount of dirt the sediment filter picks up is quite shocking. It doesn't stay white for long and to think we drink that water. I'll take a photo when I next pull it out.

    There is one change to the Koi that I have noticed....

    Sometimes in the morning they'd spit all their food out and this has been a problem with this pond since day one and the very first fish introduced. A new Koi doesn't do it at first but starts to after a Month or so. I've treated for skin flukes a couple of times but after the Koi are fluke free this spitting behaviour still comes back every now and again lasting a number of days at a time. Since installing the purifier this behaviour stopped almost immediately. I don't think this is a coincidence as I had started to suspect it might be the tap water.

    The softening capability of the cartridges has had an effect on GH and possibly KH too. My tap water can be ridiculously hard and limescale is a major problem, so reducing this even by 2 or 3dH is great as it is well documented softer water is better for Koi growth and colour.

    All in all its hard to say how great the benefits are to the Koi because they are impossible to scientifically observe or measure, but the water tastes and smells a hell of a lot better from the purifier as it does from the tap so I'd have thought this can only be good for the Koi.

    The running costs are pretty negligible (approx. £60 on filters once every 12-18 Months), so the only small downside of having it is that it takes up some space in the filter pit and I'm pretty confident that whatever the overall benefits are they definitely outweigh the negatives.
    Last edited by RS2OOO; 07-08-2019 at 09:01 PM.

  33. Thanks freddyboy, bigcarpchaser, john1, Handy Kenny, Mikeh83 Thanked / Liked this Post
  34. #20
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Nice one RS. I love it when you go at something.
    The detailed explanation you put in to words is brilliant. And thorough.
    Nice one. Even a thick git like me understands what you record.
    Fred

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